Hatred towards Syfy and among other things

[ColdZero]

Ok guy... explain to me and others how SYFY ruined the FORMULA of the show? Since SyFy wasn't writing or directing SGU u can't blame the network for ppl losing interest in the show.

And If you say its cause they moved it to another day... I'm rlly gonna rip it open

Not talking about the content of the show itself, I believe there were plenty of people who liked the show. I'm talking about making it a summer series on Friday nights paired with another original scifi series of similar content. i.e. SG+BSG, SG+Sanctuary, etc. Like I said, I think the biggest downfall of the entire series and franchise was that move to a fall show on a weekday with far bigger heavy hitters on broadcast networks.

[KEK]

They mismanaged the show from the get-go, then (allegedly) cancel it without even opening negotiations with MGM, and to add insult to injury they announce to the world it's been canned on Twitter before the cast & crew know because they can't stop leaks. Now the backlash has started from fans and there are numerous articles out about the state of their network post-SGU, the battering their brand has taken and what a loss it is to lose such a great show. Their network is a joke among sci-fi fans and their foray into the mainstream is hardly a banker, it's no wonder they're now desperately doing damage-control.

[UnknownXV]

Well then they did everything they could with the resources they had, sure they could of renewed the show and risk losing more money in the hope that the show rebounded. But would you invest into something that was not making money?

Of course I would, but only because I'm biased and actually enjoy the show. Hell, if I was Bill Gates right now, I would pay for the entire show even if I was the only one that watched it. Alas, I am not Bill Gates, so I have to settle for bitterness until the very end.

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

It sucks because reality shows are taking the place of scripted drama. It's happening on Cable and Broadcast. Reality shows tend to be cheaper so even if they don't pull in the same amount of viewers they are likely still making money. I think the overall TV viewing has put a damper on things. Syfy is looking to make money like everyone else so they are going to invest into the cheaper programming, but they are sill sticking by their scripted shows, and maybe we'll see a show like SGU down the road. Who knows.

Reality tv might be here to stay, but scripted shows still have a very large audience. And to be honest Syfy do not "stick by their scripted shows" everyone of them struggles, year after year to get renewed, often loosing audiences. All the while good, inventive dramatic shows are a "might happen” on the channel, not a definite.

Let’s look at some other networks shall we? HBO, Showtime, AMC, FX, Starz. They have built or are building each they're own collection of high quality dramatic shows, HBO is pretty much regarded as creating the best drama shows in the world. And people watch them. They’ve built up audiences for there shows, HBO expects its successful shows to actually increase they audience over time and they do. They manage this because they invest in their shows, give them a chance and have confidence in them. Of all HBO’s 1 hour dramatic series, only one was not renewed for a second season. And they do far more expensive and riskier shows than Syfy has ever done.

Networks like HBO aren’t perfect. HBO cancelled Rome, Carnivale and Deadwood after 2,2 and 3 seasons respectively. But they did at least have the courage thought to admit that it was a mistake to cancel those shows. And they keep making high quality tv. Another network that gets a lot of flak for cancelling shows is Fox, however it doesn’t seem to get quite as much. Partly I think because while they are often ruthless at ending shows, they always have another high quality program in the pipe line. Syfy don’t.

People are dissatisfied because Syfy are doing a bad job and are turning to alternatives. You already have the networks like HBO and Starz break into fantasy, if they turn to scifi as well, something that seems more than likely, then I think Syfy will struggle to find an audience for the remainder of its scripted shows. Syfy won’t die, it’s got its reality shows and wrestling that make it lots of money, but at the rate things are going, the channels association with scifi and fantasy may soon be at an end.

And in the end it’s really Syfy’s own fault. Because they struggle to develop high class shows and an audience to go with it. There is a way to make money with these shows, HBO have sold Game of Thrones to at least a dozen foreign networks at least at $2.5 million an ep. Their estimated profits are set to be in the billions this year. While they work as a premium channel, the fact remains they can get audiences of millions to watch their shows, and foreign channels to buy the airing rights for tens of millions of dollars per season. HBO know how to make money out of drama, they have built up a loyal audience, invest and hype up their shows, and make big bucks from dvd sales and foreign sales. Syfy seem to struggle with this, and as a result the audience, that has in the past tuned in for the shows like Farscape, SG1, BSG etc are growing dissatisfied.

[g.o.d]

So again, blaming Syfy for killing SGU is just far-fetched because the network is not in the business to air failed shows. They are not in the business to lose money, and will do everything they can to keep the shows from going under.

yeah, they're trying to prove that with Sanctuary right now

[Pharaoh Atem]

And none of the fans are in the meetings that decide all this. I understand its a business and as much as i love SGU im smart enough to know it wasnt pulling in good numbers.

Ill contine to watch syfy channel i have no reason not too.

[magictrick]

I don't watch SyFy because it isn't available here, nor do I pretend to know their plan as I'm not involved in broadcasting. But I do know about business plans, and in my opinion, they are struggling.

Will airing wrestling pay off in the long-run? Maybe. Is it paying off right now? I'm not sure, maybe if we saw numbers.

The one thing about business is that you can't be all things to all people, especially a smaller company (in this case network). Essentially, they wanted higher ratings and more revenue so they went out and got a cash cow in wrestling. That's fine and dandy but now it looks like their core is struggling. Are the losses of ratings for all their other shows being offset by the gains from wrestling? Maybe. But if they aren't, and the losses are greater, what will they do?

Why do HBO, Showtime and AMC do well? They know what their niche is and they stick to it. Quality above all else. Are they successful 100% of the time? No, but overall, I think the success is pretty significant at this point. I won't see HBO throwing on their network a Sharkasorous movie that took under $1 million to make and is just there for the sake of having something on.

What does SyFy want to be and where is there focus? If its just to attract viewers in anyway they can by airing random entertainment that doesn't fit with what their core values, then they may need to reexamine their goals.

[revo1059]

Even is Syfy doesn't deserve all of the blame (and I know it doesn't) it deserves enough for me as a viewer to make a decision not to support or watch the channel anymore. It's not just SGU, but SGU was the proverbial straw........

Sanctuary averages a 1.3-1.4 and gets renewed. SGU before Tuesdays averaged a 1.4, gets moved, loses live ratings and they just let it die....nice......

and now Sanctuary is losing ratings on Tuesdays just like SGU did (and Caprica took the final bullet by moving to Tuesdays then having 6 months off).

Overall bad decision making by Syfy and several good series have paid for it.

[g.o.d]

I won't watch syfy. Not out of hatred(I know they're not charity), but simply because there's nothing good to watch. There are better series to watch right now, than watch anything from syfy in a future.

I highly doubt there's going to be another great scifi show like SG-1, BSG and SGU on syfy

[KEK]

^^ I suspect wrestling is probably their number one earner. I don't think their short-term wrestling profits are really in question, it's what wrestling might do to the brand in the long run. I still don't really understand why they insist on year-round original programming, I'm sure their scripted shows would do much better in a bloc than spread out over the year. I seriously doubt SGA would have premièred with 4.2 million viewers were it not sandwiched between SG-1 and BSG, for example.

[PotRoast]

The end line is always money. It doesn't matter whether it's show biz, television or anything else. Money is the bottom line. I still think there should be a place for SGU and other shows. Ask fans for donations to continue the programing and see what you get. Yes, this is radical thinking but maybe it would save some shows that are for a more mature audience. I for one do not like shows like The Bachelor, The Real Housewives of blah, blah, blah. These are shows that keep the average sixth grade level watcher coming back. They promote vile, classless behavior and self indulgence. How could something like SGU compete with that?! This is a show that makes you think. I am now convinced the majority of the TV audience is made up of morons. SyFy has found the cash cows and will continue to cater to this audience. This is where the money is. Sad but true. I shall miss the show, the level of acting and the thought that went into the writing. The fault is not with SyFy but with the almighty dollar. I shall miss the posts on this site and all of you who put so much time and thought into your view points. God speed to all.

[g.o.d]

The end line is always money. It doesn't matter whether it's show biz, television or anything else. Money is the bottom line. I still think there should be a place for SGU and other shows. Ask fans for donations to continue the programing and see what you get. Yes, this is radical thinking but maybe it would save some shows that are for a more mature audience. I for one do not like shows like The Bachelor, The Real Housewives of blah, blah, blah. These are shows that keep the average sixth grade level watcher coming back. They promote vile, classless behavior and self indulgence. How could something like SGU compete with that?! This is a show that makes you think. I am now convinced the majority of the TV audience is made up of morons. SyFy has found the cash cows and will continue to cater to this audience. This is where the money is. Sad but true. I shall miss the show, the level of acting and the thought that went into the writing. The fault is not with SyFy but with the almighty dollar. I shall miss the posts on this site and all of you who put so much time and thought into your view points. God speed to all.

it's a fact know for many years, Look what kind of shows have the highest ratings in almost evry country around the world

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

SyFy has found the cash cows and will continue to cater to this audience. This is where the money is. Sad but true. I shall miss the show, the level of acting and the thought that went into the writing.

Thing is though, it's not that simple, there is an audience that wants intelligent well made shows, just as there’s an audience that want rubbish reality shows. Syfy have pretty much got rid of the former, while HBO, AMC, Showtime have built up this audience and have gained a lot of loyalty, people consistently tune in to their shows. In a sense HBO have turned their dramas into real earners by consistently making them high quality. This means people like me watch them and know HBO= epic tv. It also means that I will pretty much tune into any drama with HBO at the start, even if it's not something that would traditionally interest me. This translates into high audience figures and lots of profit.

But that audience of idiots that Syfy are left with are fickle, they may eventually leave because another network has the new Jersey Shore or whatever, or someone else bought the rights to wrestling. At the very least, they’re rapidly heading into a situation, where, while they continue to make money, their reputation is in tatters and they are seen as laughing stock. They’re in this situation because they pursued short term profits at the expense of having a long term plan.

[PotRoast]

Can someone contact the SGU creators and ask what we can do? How much does it cost to produce this series?

[randyored]

Is wrestling worth it if the other 6 days get crap shows? In the end can just one show carry the other 6 days of substandard ratings?